Dylan Hartley and Ben Foden make welcome return for Northampton against Ulster in Heineken Cup

England hooker Dylan Hartley, who was a frustrated spectator during the autumn
internationals, will return to action for the first time in six weeks for
Northampton in Friday night’s Heineken Cup group match against Ulster at
Franklin’s Gardens.

Back in action: Dylan Hartley, out injured for six weeks, will make a welcome return for Northampton against Ulster Photo: PA

Hartley, who won his 42nd cap on last summer’s tour to South Africa, was ruled out of all four of England's recent internationals because of an ankle injury which he sustained at Saracens in late October.

With Bath’s Rob Webber also sidelined by injury, England turned to Leicester’s Tom Youngs, who won his first cap against Fiji and started at hooker against the big three Southern Hemisphere nations.

Full-back Ben Foden, who also missed England’s autumn internationals, also starts for Northampton having played the full 80 minutes of last week’s Premiership win at Sale.

That was Foden’s first game since he damaged ankle ligaments at Bath in mid-September with Alex Goode, of Saracens, starting all four autumn internationals in his absence.

Jim Mallinder, Northampton’s director of rugby, expects Ulster, who are unbeaten in 12 matches in competitions this season, to challenge his side across the field, notably at No 8, where former Ireland international Roger Wilson makes a swift return to Franklin’s Gardens.

Wilson spent four years with Northampton before he rejoined Ulster during the summer but he missed the first two months of the season with a torn hamstring.

“They have got a big strong pack. We know Roger Wilson will be pivotal to that at No 8,” Mallinder said. “He missed the beginning of the season but he has played himself into a little bit of form.

“They have two quality half-backs, a really exciting back line who are dangerous and love to score tries.”

Northampton beat Ulster at Milton Keynes in the quarter-finals two years ago but the Irish province have prospered since they brought in Mark Anscombe as their head coach at the end of last season.

Anscombe had a brief spell in charge of Moseley 16 years ago where his no-nonsense approach brought results but ruffled the feathers of the Birmingham club’s board, who axed him after six months in charge.

Anscombe, who previously coached Old Wesley in Dublin, returned to his native New Zealand and guided the All Blacks Under-20s to the IRB Junior World Cup last year.

“There is no discussion in terms of how difficult it’s going to be,” Mallinder said. “Even when they have a lot of players missing, which they have during the recent internationals, Ulster have still been winning. They are in the habit of doing that.

“We have beaten them fairly recently and we know that we can beat them again but we are going o have to be at our very best.

“I think they have progressed. They have changed their coaching set-up a little bit, they have changed the team a little bit and brought in quality players who have given them experience and leadership.

“But some of their younger players have really come on and we have seen them play for Ireland or Ireland A. They are playing well for Ulster so they have got massive challenges all over the park.”